To serve

Method

1

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/gas mark 6

2

Heat a Josper, grill or griddle pan until extremely hot. Char and blacken the aubergine on all sides, then finish cooking in the oven until soft to the touch. Remove, place in a bowl and cover tightly with cling film. Allow to sweat until the contents of the bowl have cooled to room temperature

1 aubergine, 250g

3

Remove and reserve the skin, then place the flesh in a colander set over a bowl. Leave to drain overnight in the fridge, ensuring you reserve the liquid

4

The next day, weigh the flesh and place in a blender. Add 25% of the weight in reserved liquid, a small amount of the charred skin, honey, lemon juice and a small dash of olive oil. Blend until smooth and creamy in texture, season to taste and set aside

1 tsp honey

juice of half a lemon

olive oil

salt

pepper

5

To prepare the burger patties, place the mince in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the shallots and herbs and mix until well-combined

400g of Welsh Lamb mince

160g of pork mince

salt

pepper

2 shallots, finely chopped

20g of parsley, finely chopped

20g of mint, finely chopped

6

Use your hands to divide the mix into 4 patties, and wrap each in cling film. Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours - this will firm up the burgers and prevent them from falling apart during cooking

7

While the burgers are in the fridge, place the thin strips of courgette in the milk and set aside in the fridge for 2 hours

480g of courgette, cut into thin fries

500ml of whole milk

8

Remove the patties from the fridge. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add a dash of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the burgers and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on what temperature/finish you prefer. Once cooked, set aside to rest for 2-3 minutes

1 dash of olive oil

9

Place the cheese on top of the meat to melt while it is resting. Thoroughly drain the courgette fries and toss in the 00 flour to lightly coat. Deep-fry in the vegetable oil at 180˚C until golden. Drain well and season to taste

00 flour for dusting

salt

vegetable oil, for deep frying

10

To assemble the burgers, cut each panino in half and lightly toast. Add the lettuce, tomato and onions to one half, and the patty on top of the other half. Top the patty with cheese, followed by the grilled bacon. Serve with a side of the aubergine and the courgette fries